Maize stripe virus (MStV) is a member of the tenuivirus group. During infection of Zea mays transcripts for four gene products have been identified. The functions of the gene products are unknown except for the nucleocapsid protein. By comparing the amino acid sequences of these gene products using the ST database searching program and the GenBank database, functions of the proteins may be suggested based on homologies to other known proteins. Additionally, during transcription of the MStV genes it appears that short host sequences are used to start transcription. Searching the GenBank plant database with the short host sequences using the SN database searching program may identify plant genes which could act as donors of the short sequences during viral transcription. Finally the short host sequences may play a role in the structure of the transcripts. By using the RNAfold program a consistent structural change of the transcripts may be identified which may suggest t hat the short sequences are important structurally and thus, translationally.